eah, it’s true! At one point in history cocaine, ecstasy, marijuana,
LSD, opium and heroin were perfectly legal and in some cases
given away- free. Now these drugs are considered illegal, harmful, and addictive. “It was better than sex; it was better than the best thing
I ever tried; crack, marijuana, cocaine - put me in a state of mind where I
did not care about anything or anyone. I just wanted to get high.” These are
all statements made to me by individuals in jail or in drug rehab about how
they felt being under the influence of drugs of abuse. How could chemicals
that soothe pain, inspire intense euphoria, and temporarily allow us to
escape from the problems of the day be harmful? Let’s explore two popular
drugs of the Hip Hop culture and see how they affect the body.
ECSTASY (MDMA)
The “love drug” was first synthesized in a laboratory in Germany in
1912. Believed to have no medical
use, it sat on the shelf for years
until 1977 when Alexander
Shulgin, a chemist living in
California, re-synthesized the
compound and introduced it
to a local psychotherapist. It
was not illegal and was given
to patients by doctors to help
couples communicate, to treat
posttraumatic stress disorder,
and treat anxiety and depression. The
drug was called “empathy” until it hit the party scene where the
name “ecstasy” was coined. Ecstasy was so widespread in cities like Dallas,
TX that you could buy it over the counter at bars - LEGALLY. Doctors gave it
to patients for group sessions and everything was all good, right?

cough, is the most widely used and naturally occurring
narcotic (medicines that produce pleasure and calmness) in
the world. Promethazine, which does not contain codeine,
is the generic name for a sedating, anti-nausea chemical
that is often combined with codeine in cough syrups.
Symptoms of codeine abuse include slow breathing,
seizures, dizziness, weakness, confusion, tiredness,
cold and clammy skin, small or constricted pupils,
loss of consciousness, coma and possibly death! To
experience the effects of codeine, the human body
must convert the drug to morphine. The effects
of codeine start 10-30 minutes after ingestion,
peak within 1 to 2 hours and may last 4-6 hours,
depending on how much is taken. Within two
to three weeks of repetitive use a physical and
psychological addiction may develop. Misuse will
lead to an apathetic, dulling-type effect, a lack
of coordination and dulled responses.
Every illegal drug to date has started out perfectly
legal, freely used and widely accepted. They are considered medical miracles until the side effects develop. One major problem with these
illegal substances is that there are no long-term studies to tell us what
will happen to the body after long-term use. What I can tell you is that
destruction of lives, time spent in jail, and the risk of being infected with
HIV or other STDs, motor vehicle accidents, violence, and rape have all occurred “under the influence.” The fix is temporary and the cost is high. Let’s
seek out the natural highs in life: love, children, music, a good job, a loyal
woman, great mixtapes, seeing bootleggers arrested for jacking music, and
real Hip Hop! Holla! //

The sense of emotional well being, confidence and love produced by the
drug comes from its effects on the brain. Ecstasy stimulates the release of
serotonin, which affects our mood, energy and emotions. Normally in the
brain, a little bit of serotonin gets released at time; when using ecstasy,
all of the serotonin stored in the brain cells is released at once, producing intense euphoria, strong emotions, and feelings of love, happiness,
intimacy, openness, and empathy. This dramatic release of serotonin is also
what makes the drug potentially dangerous, as the nerves may not ever
function the same after repeated use of the drug. The agony begins when
the ecstasy wears off and is often called “suicide Tuesdays.” The user feels
tired, fatigued, depressed, and is unable to sleep. Some ecstasy users have
literally danced themselves to death or had seizures, gone into to a coma,
and died due to increased body temperature (up to 107 degrees) and water
intoxication. An average 100-milligram dose lasts 6 to 10 hours and costs
between $25 and $45 per pill depending on where you live. There is still a
push to make this drug legal so it can be used by psychotherapists.
OPIUM
Opium is a naturally occurring substance that is extracted from the seedpod
of the opium poppy. Heroin, morphine, codeine, hydrocodone, and dihydrocodeine are all derivatives of opium. They are highly addictive substances
that are commonly used by physicians for medical purposes: to treat diarrhea, nausea, and more commonly pain. Vicodin, Lortab, and Oxycotin (hillbilly heroin) are all examples of the prescribed derivatives of opium. They
have legitimate uses in medicine, however, the abuse potential is great.
Prescription drug abuse has become a huge problem in our society and both
the patients and the doctors are to blame. Have you heard of lean, syrup, or
sizzurp? Once just a “cough medicine,” this codeine-based drink has become
a cocktail of the Hip Hop culture. Just mix your cream soda or fruit punch
with some promethazine and codeine, and voila… you have the cheap, sweet
drink made popular by the Houston Hip Hop scene and DJ Screw who died
from a mixture of codeine, alcohol, and marijuana. Codeine, a commonly
prescribed and effective drug used to treat pain, diarrhea, and to suppress